Her heart sank. “You’re asking for the one thing I can’t give you.”
Gripping her shoulder harder, he turned her back to face him. “Why won’t you at least try?”
“Trust isn’t given,” she said with sadness. “It’s earned.”
His gray eyes hardened. Dropping his arm at his side, he turned on his heel and walked from the room.
Chapter 34
Even if Clelia wouldn’t trust him, he’d keep her safe. He owed her a chance at life, and more. He owed her his soul for taking away his nightmares. Since that night he’d kidnapped her, he’d never dreamt of his ghosts again. It was as if she’d somehow absolved him.
Now new dreams invaded his mind, glimpses of a future with things he’d never thought he’d have, like waking up with her face the first thing he saw every morning, and a house filled with the furniture and warmth that would make it a home. Maybe even the cry of a baby. Those dreams had stolen into his spirit when he’d been too busy to notice and rooted there, giving him hope. He wanted that hope more than his old life, even more than his team, and he’d kill to have and hold it. He’d kill for her.
Marching up the stairs, he flung open the bedroom door and stripped on his way to the shower. Dinner be damned. He needed to cool down. The water was gas-heated, but he turned on the cold tap only and got under the icy spray, letting the freezing cold drops from the high-pressure nozzle needle his skin. After soaping his body and washing his hair, he turned off the water and toweled himself dry. As per habit, he cleaned the bathroom and wiped up the water on the floor with a rag. He was a neat freak, but he also didn’t believe in leaving his dirty bathroom for someone else to clean.
When he stepped back into the room with a towel wrapped around his body, he froze. Clelia lay in the middle of the bed, gloriously naked, the flames of the fires dancing over her pale skin.
His cock came to attention, tenting the towel. “What are you doing?” he asked in a gruff voice.
She pushed up on one arm. “If you think only you get to decide when and how we have sex, you better think again.”
Motherfucking… He couldn’t form a strong enough word for the thought that went off in his head. The things he wanted to do to her… Advancing, he said, “You’re a temptress, know that?”
“We’re married now.” She shrugged like it didn’t matter. “We may as well enjoy the benefits.”
Stopping short of the bed, he dragged his greedy gaze over the length of her. So tiny. So tight. So perfect. “You’re too brave for your own good.”
The vixen had the nerve to taunt him. “I guess you’ll have to swallow your words.”
He knew exactly which words she referred to. He’d said when she wasn’t his little virgin any longer, she wouldn’t lie in his bed and act brave. Fucking hell.
He dragged a hand over his wet hair. “It’s too soon.”
“Are you being a bad loser again?”
That did it. Dropping the towel, he climbed over her onto the bed. “Want to say that to my face?”
She sat up, letting her breasts brush his chest. “Are you scared, big, bad Joss de Arradon?”
He striked out fast, gripping her slender neck in a gentle but firm hold before she could take her next breath. “I guess there’s one way to find out.”
The words had barely left his lips before she arched closer and pressed their mouths together. The initiative caught him off guard. It wasn’t what he’d expected from his shy little stalker, but fuck him if he was going to be a gentleman about it. If she was sore tomorrow, it would only serve her right. At least she’d think about him every time she took a step.
Her kiss turned deeper, her tongue seeking his. He groaned when she sucked his lower lip into her mouth. So aggressive. When she slipped her hand down his body and gripped his cock, he lost whatever reason he had left.
Cupping her fingers to keep them in that hot, hard place, he pushed her down with his hand still folded around her throat. “Fine, witch.” The challenge was on. “Show me what you’ve got.”
He went for her mouth again, but she pushed him away with her hands on his chest. “No.”
He stilled. “What?” If she was toying with him—
“Roll over.”
“What?” he said, sounding stupid, like a parrot.
“Roll over, Joss.”
Roll over. It wasn’t going to be that easy, but he played along just to see what she’d do. Giving her a lazy smile, he lay down on his back and folded his hands behind his head.
She straddled him on her knees. The sight of her naked body, legs spread over him, wiped the grin clean off his face. He was going to taste every inch of that creamy skin. He was going to grope her everywhere, starting—
“Uh-uh.” She grabbed his wandering hands and placed them above his head. “Keep them there.”
Hot, fucking hell. He barely managed. She lowered herself over him. The feeling of her skin against his drove him insane. He gritted his teeth as she kissed his neck and then his chest, sliding her body over his as she moved down. His cock jerked at every touch. It took all the control he could muster and then some not to move.
Lifting his head, he watched as she licked the skin around his navel, tracing a path down to his balls. A sharp jab of pleasure launched into his spine as she sucked them into her mouth. The groan that tore from his throat sounded primitive. She dragged her warm tongue up his shaft until he was ready to explode.
“Damn you, Cle,” he said when she scraped
